Heartland founder Dr. Rick Workman said he was excited that the expansion could take place in Effingham and thanked the support of local and state government officials as well as as the local workforce as keys to making sure the expansion took place here rather than another locale.

Workman came to Effingham from Clay City in 1980 to start up a dental office and started his first management practice 10 years later. He sold the management practice in 1997 and then began Heartland and bought back the practices.

Since then, the growth has been phenomenal. The company now oversees hundreds of dental offices and thousands of employees. Workman said they hope to oversee development of 48 offices this year and an average of 40 offices a year from this point. Locally, the company hopes to add 25 employees this year and another 80 or so next year.

(HEARTLAND DENTAL CARE VICE-PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT TRAVIS FRANKLIN)

Heartland Vice-President for Development Travis Franklin said the 40,000 square foot addition doubles the headquarters size to 80,000 square feet. It was an $8.3 million project and Franklin noted that 80% of the project went to area subcontractors.

(HEARTLAND DENTAL CARE PRESIDENT PAT BAUER OVERSAW THE PRIZE DRAWING)

Other speakers included Effingham County Chamber of Commerce President Norma Lansing who reminisced about when Workman opened his first office in Effingham and Effingham Mayor Merv Gillenwater, who noted the three projects in recent years at the location, with the Heartland expansion following the Patterson Technology and Midland States Bank construction projects.